As a test device for testing electric characteristics of a semiconductor wafer or the like object to be tested, a probe card including a plurality of probes for electrical connection between a tested contact point of the object to be tested and a testing contact point of a test circuit has been used.
With development of technology, the semiconductor wafer has become larger and a semiconductor has become smaller. As the number of semiconductor pads formable on one sheet of semiconductor wafer increases, a distance between semiconductor pads gets closer. Like this, a higher-density probe card is required as a pitch between the pads becomes narrower.
In general, the probe card is mounted with so many microelectromechanical system (MEMS) probes in high density. During the test, the probe keeps one contact portion in contact with and pressed against a terminal of an object to be tested, and thus an elastic deformation portion is deformed in a certain direction. In this case, the other contact portion slides and moves in an opposite direction to the deforming direction of the elastic deformation portion on the pad of the test circuit, and therefore a problem arises in that the contact is not sure. Further, the conventional MEMS type probe card is diagnosed as the whole failures or defects of the probe card even when just one among the plurality of MEMS probes is defective or damaged in the contact portion as repetitively used in the test. Besides, the contact portion of the MEMS probe to be in contact with the tested contact points of the object to be tested may be increased in contact resistance as a contact tip is worn or contaminated by the repetitive tests, thereby lowering test reliability.
A conventional probe card includes a first support member and a second support member arranged in parallel with each other leaving a space therebetween and supporting a plurality of MEMS probes. During the test, one contact portion of the plurality of MEMS probes is pressed against an object to be tested and slides and moves in a pressing direction, and the other contact portion is in contact with a contact point of a test circuit board (or an interposer), while a middle elastic deformation portion is deformed in a designated direction. In this case, a support member for supporting the other contact portion is urged in a deforming direction by the deformation of the elastic deformation portion. When the support member is excessively urged by so many MEMS probes, it has a bad effect on a contact test of an adjacent test probe and thus lowers test reliability.